Latest Articles in THE TALK...

Premium links:

More major retailers are deciding they can’t wait for Black Friday and will open their doors on Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, as we head toward the holidays this year, I’ve been seeing more commercials and references to Small Business Saturday.
Supported by American Express, Small Business Saturday is designed to celebrate local businesses and encourage consumers to “...more »

There are many ways in which a thoughtfully designed Internet marketing campaign can build and convert leads for window and door businesses. From improving your website's search engine optimization so that it appears higher in search results to targeting local homeowners in specific demographics with mobile marketing, these methods can provide an excellent return on investment for your business....more »

At Window & Door, we will soon begin working on the 2014 Top 100 Manufacturers, our annual rankings of North America’s largest producers of residential windows, doors, skylights and sunrooms. We will reach out shortly to companies on last year’s list to gather updated information. We will also contact companies we believe are potential candidates for the rankings.
But if you...more »

In my two most recent From the Field columns―"Fenestration Evolution Brings New Challenges to Replacement" and "The Future of Window Replacement"―I wrote as much about speculation as I did about fact. My main focus was, “How will current new construction products and processes affect replacement products and processes in the future?”
My replacement...more »

Back in the ’80s, the annual NARI exhibition was arguably the largest window and door show in North America. The exhibitor list included all the major wood window manufacturers—many still focused on wood at the time—as well as several dozen vinyl replacement window manufacturers. Suppliers of window and door manufacturing equipment, components and industry-specific services were...more »

As the government shutdown drags on, many question whether we're getting any closer to a resolution or whether each day takes us farther away from some sort of workable compromise. We try not to get too political with The Talk topics we kick around, but this is a pretty tough situation to ignore. While a two-week government shutdown is unlikely to have a large impact on housing and the...more »

Most businesses today emphasize the need to rally employees behind a philanthropic mission in the local community as a way to ‘pay it forward’ while bringing colleagues closer together as a team, but figuring out where to start is usually the hardest part of getting involved in a cause. The key to choosing a charitable endeavor is to be sure it is in line with your company’s...more »

Last week, we reported the launch of Porch.com, a new internet service designed to connect homeowners with contractors. The field also includes Angie's List, Home Advisor (previously Service Magic) and others. Looking at various window and door dealer and manufacturer websites, it's clear many companies in our industry have at least tried these services for lead generation, and in some cases...more »

Some pretty smart folks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have issued a report basically summarizing what we in the window and door industry take as gospel: R&D and manufacturing are closely tied. Wherever the manufacturing happens, research and development is likely nearby.
The MIT study warns that if U.S. companies continue to outsource production, we might increasingly see those...more »

Due to some health limitations, I missed my first GlassBuild America this year. It left me feeling a bit isolated, I must say, knowing so much of the industry–and so many friends–were down in Atlanta, while I was stuck at home in New York. I'm sorry I missed the chance to say hi to so many of you, but I'm definitely in recovery mode and plan to be back on the road again soon....more »